Weekly Post 3: Faith and Creativity

Hello Blog World! This weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday (his first as a married man). It was mostly low key, but a really good weekend overall. Friday night I cooked a lovely Italian inspired meal - baked balsamic eggplant parm, rosemary-garlic roasted potatoes and homemade tiramisu (his favorite) for dessert. It was accompanied with a lovely red wine and nice conversation. Saturday we went to our favorite local place for brunch followed by an outing to the movies. Afterwards we came home, rested, then cooked dinner together. Sunday we went to morning mass for Palm Sunday then talked to his parents briefly, rested for a bit, then headed off to have dinner out with my side of the family. After church this weekend, and as we approach Holy Week, I have decided I need to work on limiting my use of technology more to focus on the meaning of the season. While my prayer life can always use a boost, I feel like I often turn to the internet or tv to relieve anxiety lately, and realized maybe something was missing. When I think back to the times I have been most happy and productive, it is when my faith/spiritual life is strong and when I am utilizing my creativity more often. I feel like the most I have used that creativity lately was in developing meals and the sign I made saying "happy birthday" to my husband. I opened an email this morning from the Zentangle founders and realized I need to dive deeper into my creative life. When I first started learning and practicing the method of Zentangles, I was so excited! It was relaxing, creative, and productive. It gave me a sense of accomplishment, as well as keeping me grounded in the moment. So, my main goals this week are as follows: 1. Strictly limit use of technology (more specifically facebook and internet - as I tend to waste a lot of time/procrastinate with them)- I'd like to say 15-30 min max per day - and none Friday ("fasting") 2. Build up spiritual life in preparation for Easter - spend more time in prayer and contemplation, attend religious functions for Good Friday 3. Allow art to take a more central role in my life again as a means for using my leisure time in a more beneficial and creative way to soothe my soul My hope is that by the next time I post, I can include some updated pieces of art to share. :) Thought for today: What are healthy ways you deal with anxiety and "soothe" the soul?